ANGRY members of a North boat club have spoken of their disgust after raiders got into their boatyard and went on a mindless wrecking spree.

ANGRY members of a North boat club have spoken of their disgust after raiders got into their boatyard and went on a mindless wrecking spree.

Damage estimated at hundreds of pounds was caused to a number of vessels moored at the headquarters of the 54-member Wansbeck Boat and Fishing Club in the village of Cambois, Northumberland, last weekend.

Three boats suffered serious damage after being tipped up and thrown over a quay wall several feet high, and a small yacht had part of its rigging torn down before being cut loose from its moorings.

The raiders are then believed to have smashed a window, attempted to pull off a door and unsuccessfully tried to start the engine on a fifth boat, before untying it from its moorings – resulting in it drifting through the mouth of the River Wansbeck and out to sea.

Several hours later, three people on board the drifting 20ft fishing boat had to be rescued by a lifeboat crew, after calling the coastguard on a mobile phone and saying they were marooned out at sea off Cambois.

The Sunday Sun revealed last week how the trio told the Newbiggin-by-the-Sea lifeboat volunteers that they had fallen asleep on the boat and then woke up to find themselves stranded about 400 metres from the beach.

The rescue, which was carried out at 6am last Saturday morning, ended with the fishing boat being towed back to shore, and the three occupants dropped off at a nearby holiday park where they were staying.

Police later arrested three men from the Sunderland area, after officials at the Cambois Boat and Fishing Club reported the damage which had been caused at the boatyard.

It was discovered by club treasurer, Norman Bamburgh, when he arrived at the yard at 7.30am last Saturday. He was then told about the lifeboat rescue operation by a Newbiggin RNLI official later that morning.

Mr Bamburgh said: “The RNLI said they were suspicious because the boat was littered with beer cans, but it was their responsibility to hand the three people on board over to the coastguard, who took them back to the caravan site.

“The vandals who got into our boatyard on the Saturday night tore down some of the rigging on a yacht, tipped three boats over the quay wall, threw bits of gear off others and then damaged another boat and ended up out at sea in it. Moorings were cut and we could easily have had five boats drifting out to sea.

“This is just wanton vandalism and I felt gutted for the owners of the boats. These people weren’t hapless sailors, they were drunken yobs. It just sickens people, because it seems you can’t have a hobby without someone coming along and destroying it.”

Tom Killoran, 89, the owner of one of the boats damaged last weekend, said: “I have had to buy a chain to moor it and will have to buy new rigging ropes. This sort of thing is terrible and just shouldn’t happen.”

Northumbria Police confirmed this week they are investigating damage caused to a boat at Cambois between 8pm on Friday, August 31, and 6am the next day.

He said three men from the Sunderland area, two aged 17 and the other 25, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.